


A Tale Of Kings And Broken Swords

by karundai



Category: Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Autumn, First Times, Fluff, M/M, SO MUCH FLUFF, astrophile!Josh, bUT THEN IT GETS REAL SAD, bc tyler helps josh make friends :), but its really fluffy and it isnt graphic at all so you cant even tell, dances under the stars, flowery!Tyler, haha have fun kiddos, haha when even the smut is soft you know the sadness will hit hard, holy SHIT thats SOFT, ill tell you when to stop reading if you just want a happy ending, it gets better at the very end tho dont worry, oh yeah brendon and pete are here too, yalls gonna get your hearts broken
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-20
Updated: 2017-10-24
Packaged: 2019-01-20 02:05:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, Underage
Chapters: 16
Words: 5,460
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12422805
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/karundai/pseuds/karundai
Summary: The state of the world meant nothing to them. They had each other, and he had promised him that they would be able to dance through the Up Above for all eternity someday. The twin kings of the forest would finally be able to live once more.~Josh didn't believe in heaven or hell. The Up Above, where mortals become star spirits and guide wandering souls to their true homes, the Down Below, where every night the skeletons awaken from peaceful slumber and dance to a melody only known to them, and the purgatory of life. He always believed he would die young, that he would go early and live as a child of the stars for eternity. Then, he met Tyler.~In which a lonely starwatcher meets a softer, more elegant beauty, and something is formed.





	1. The Astrophile

**Author's Note:**

> so this one is aight. chapters are gonna be really short snippets from their days, and i swear to god ill let you know where to stop reading if you dont want your heart broken, okay? love ya guys x

The sky wasn’t ever enough for him. 

 

No, he wanted nothing more than to lose himself in the stars above. The place where blue faded to black, where the soundlessness of it all rippled through the nothing, where the landscape wasn’t land at all. He wanted to lose himself among the billions of twinkling lights he found peace at. 

 

And he never wanted to be found.

 

Every night, he would take his car and drive 30 miles north into the mountains. His secret way would always lead him to the cliff overlooking the desert, where light could never find him. The second the headlights went off, the darkness would take him and all around him. And that was fine. The stars were there, after all.

 

He told them stories, about his day and his favorite things. His best memories murmured out to the Up Above.

 

The Up Above.

 

He didn’t believe in heaven or hell. There was only the Up Above and the Down Below. A land among the stars, where time was meaningless and galaxies could fit into your palm, and the earthen kingdom below, where every night the skeletons would awaken and waltz to the invisible melody of their silence. It was simple, when you put it like that. The children of the night would be sent to the Up Above, and the folk of the Earth would be sent down.

 

He tried.

 

Three times he had tried.

 

He wanted to escape this wretched purgatory and deliver himself to his real home. His parents never cared. He had no friends who could’ve stopped him. Why. Why was he still there? Why was he still in this awful world?

 

He glared at the sky.

 

“Why! Why,” he yelled out, “would you put me through this! You said you had a plan but I don’t see it. It’s getting worse. It’s all just getting worse.”

 

“I’m growing stale!”

 

The line echoed to the desert below. Nothing. Not a ripple. What could he have expected to happen. He closed his eyes.

 

And all was still once more.


	2. Yellow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the boy in the sweater really was beautiful.

He could still remember the first moment he made eye contact with him. The boy in the yellow hoodie. Brown eyes met darker brown, and he felt it within. 

 

Yellow smiled.

 

Oh.

 

Oh, no.

 

Over the course of the week, he watched him. Yellow seemed popular enough. Out of his league, out of his league. Pointless. And yet his heart still wanted him. The boy was beautiful, otherworldly beautiful, with perfect features and short chocolate hair. He was his opposite. And he was perfect.

 

That night, he came to the cliff with the frustration of the world in his eyes. “You sent him, didn’t you.”

 

“He’s too friendly. He’s a garden, filled with all these beautiful flowers. I’m an ant. No one ever notices the ant.”

 

And all was silent.


	3. Punishment from Above

“..hey...”

 

He looked up and nearly choked on his food. Yellow.

 

Talking to him.

 

“Can I? Sit here, I mean.”

 

“Yeah, go ahead.”

 

They sat peacefully for a while. He watched the others chatting in the courtyard. The boy turned to him again and spoke too softly to be heard.

 

“Mm?”

 

“Oh, I. I said, you can call me uh. Tyler.”

 

He nodded. Tyler. He liked that name. He liked it a lot. A little too much.

 

“I hate mine. You can call me… Spooky Jim or something. Yeah.”

 

Tyler nodded before laughing a little. “Spooky Jim… I like that.”

 

And so they sat.

 

“Do you wanna be my friend.”

 

“Yeah.”

 

 

* * *

 

“You’re punishing me, huh.” Like always. Silence.

 

He sighed. The roof of the car looked comfortable.

 

He set himself atop the metal roof and stared out for a while. The horizon was visible, only barely but still enough. The point where they met. The Up Above and the Down Below. He always wondered if he could find the location where the two worlds collided. The last sacred spot.

 

He counted the stars until he fell asleep.

 

He dreamed of Tyler.


	4. Crowns

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> late summer flowers and laughter by the creek makes for a nice atmosphere.

The flower patches within the forest had begun to wilt, making way for the autumn colors and the harvest smells. The two were in the forest together, looking for the last of the colorful plants.

 

They searched for a couple hours and sat by the creek. Tyler made him a crown with his findings.

 

“You sure it looks good on me?”

 

“Yep.”

 

He glanced at the creek and saw a reflection. His hair was still as choppy as it had been in the days past, the fiery orange beginning to fade away. Atop his head sat a dainty crown of late summer blooms. He sighed.

 

“Well, let me make you one.”

 

And so they went searching again. They had picked all the flowers that they could, and instead came back with leaves, berries, and twigs. He was slow and precise in his movements, making a crown of red and orange and yellow that was fit for a woodland king. He put it on Tyler’s head.

 

“That looks great.”

 

Tyler stared at him for a minute before swapping the crowns. He was a bit surprised, but he realized that the flower’s cooler colors matched better with his bark-colored 'floof' (as he called it) atop his head, and the tones of September fit to him too well.

 

Tyler laughed. “Look at you, you’re the king of the forest!”

 

“No, you are! Your crown is better and you're a better king anyways!”

 

“Nuh-uh! You’re the better king.”

 

“Am not!”

 

They went back and forth playfully for a while until Tyler finally shouted, “Okay, okay, okay! We’re both the kings of the forest then. I’ll be the king of the flowers and spring and winter and you’ll be the king of the harvest and summer and fall.”

 

“Now, THAT… is something I can get behind.”

 

They laughed.

 

The twin kings of the forest.


	5. The Stars Around His Wrist

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> tyler's name was the only name on his cast. and ty didn't like that.

The stars felt more colorful on the cliff, the night sky bluer and the clouds casting a thin veil of shadow through the soft moonlight.

 

His crown was still on his head.

 

“This is witchcraft, you know,” he said, his eyes fixed on the wisps of cloud above him. “You sent me an angel. You sent me the most beautiful angel in all the heavens. How could he like a wretch like me?”

 

He waited, knowing the reply but still hoping for something different anyways. Anger flared within him.

 

He had been punching a tree for four hours at this point. His knuckles had started bleeding halfway through but he couldn’t care. It was only when he felt something snap that he bothered to stop.

 

He held his wrist. It didn’t feel right.

 

Nothing ever did.

 

He cried.

 

Broken.

 

 

* * *

 

Tyler came to visit him after he checked out of the hospital.

 

He was the first person to sign the cast, nice and small at the bottom.

 

He smiled.

 

The week went by, and his name was still the only one. The flower king noticed. He came the next day with paint and all sorts of different brushes.

 

“Sit still.”

 

And so he did.

 

It took six hours in total, but he was pleased with the result.

 

A starry night wrapped around his wrist.

 

“Now your cast is beautiful.”

 

“You didn’t need to go through the trouble…”

 

“Well, it didn’t have names and I had a problem with that. You don’t need anyone who doesn’t care, you have me and I’ll make sure you know you’re worth more than them. 'Cause you're a work of art, and anyone who disagrees can catch my fist.”

 

He could feel the tears welling up in his eyes. Tyler hugged him and gave him time to let it all out. They sat there as the sun slowly lowered in the sky.

 

He looked up when he finally felt he could.

 

“Thank you.”


	6. Incandescence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> josh was never able to celebrate the joys of halloween. tyler wanted to change that.

“One day,” he said as he kicked a pebble off the side of the cliff, “one day I’ll be gone and he’ll be fine and he’ll forget about me.”

 

He couldn’t bring himself to look at them.

 

“They always do.”

 

 

* * *

 

The air was beginning to get thinner and cooler, the gloomy atmosphere of the forest truly coming out.

 

Halloween must be soon.

 

Tyler asked him about his plans for the holiday.

 

“I’m not sure, Mom never lets me go out or decorate, so… not much, I guess.”

 

Tyler looked at him with the most alarmed expression on his face. “Well, you’re coming with me then.”

 

They drove out to the forest with all sorts of things in the back of the trunk. They drove up to the turnpike, past the intersection, deep into the mountains, and parked in an amber clearing near the lake. Wild pumpkins grew all around the sides. Tyler looked happy.

 

“This is my secret place, no one else knows about it. Wait here for a moment.”

 

He nodded, and Tyler went off to start putting up the decorations. To tell the truth, he had never seen Halloween decor, he had always wanted to but was never able. He knew that day was the day the worlds would collide, the day the spirits of the stars and the bones of the earth would join the mortals on this planet. He was excited.

 

So he waited for a couple hours, and Tyler finally came back with a smile on his face.

 

“Here, take my hand and let’s go.”

 

And so they went. He was mesmerized at the sight of the forest around them. Tyler had set up a couple strings of fairy lights all around the clearing. Paper bats on strands of yarn, plastic skulls near the bases of rocks, foam headstones stuck into the ground. He loved it.

 

Together they picked pumpkins. Tyler showed him how to carve them into fun little faces, and soon they made a whole family of jack-o-lanterns. He set them down on a tree stump and put a fake candle in each. They began to glow.

 

“I… This is beautiful, Ty.”

 

Tyler had gone back to the car and set a boombox out in the trunk. He set a cassette in the slot and he listened as a soft piano song began to play.

 

"That song is pretty."

 

“Mm,” Tyler said. “Dance with me.”

 

“That’s gay.”

 

They looked at each other and laughed.

 

“But really. C’mon.”

 

And they did. They were an incandescent sight, the two of them. He kept a casted hand on Tyler’s hip, holding him steady in front of him. Tyler held onto him like the world would fall away if he let go. They danced for hours, an elegant waltz of old to a melody long forgotten. Together, in that moment, they were skeleton lovers embracing the spirit of the Down Below. The sun slowly set, and they only stopped when he pointed out how the stars had come out.

 

He whispered in Tyler’s ear.

 

“There’s something I wanna show you.”


	7. Philosophies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> josh brings him to the cliff.

“Whoa. What is this place?”

 

They sat on the roof of his car. He watched as Tyler took in the sight of the desert, the mountains past, and above that, the stars. His face was filled with wonder. He began to tell him his story, how he came up here every night, how the stars were his only friends, how he told them everything. The Up Above, the Down Below, and all the hell of being stuck here.

 

“The two worlds above and below, huh?” Tyler sighed. “That sounds complicated. Where do you plan on going?”

 

He thought for a moment.

 

“Wherever you are, I guess.”

 

They laughed for a moment. Tyler went quiet.

 

“Do you mean that?”

 

“To be honest with you, I’d follow you to the ends of the earth.”

 

“You don’t mean it.”

 

“I mean it more than anything else I’ve ever said. You’ve become my entire world and the oxygen in my lungs. Help me forget about my problems at home. You’ve been nothing but kind to me and it feels good to finally have someone I can trust. I love you, man. Like a lot. Like, a whole lot.”

 

Tyler smiled before replying. “That’s gay.”

 

He laughed and shoved him lightly. “You’re gay.”

 

“So are you, dude.”

 

“Yeah but only for you.”

 

They stared at each other for a moment before he turned away. “...sorry. I wasn’t supposed to have said that out loud...”

 

“No, no it’s fine. Look at me?”

 

And he did.

 

And Tyler pressed his lips on his own.

 

And the world went silent.

 

They stayed like that for a couple minutes before breaking away. The two kings rested their foreheads together, noses barely touching, and just breathed in. The light of the moon rained down above them. It was a while before Tyler spoke again, his voice barely a whisper.

 

“Do you want to be my boyfriend.”

 

And he whispered back.

 

“God, yeah.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aaaaaaaaa?
> 
> aaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.


	8. Two Kings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> their costumes were absolutely magnificent.

Everything was colorful from then on. He still couldn’t believe himself. That star, that shining, ethereal star, he actually cared for him. He felt good.

 

Halloween was fun. Tyler helped him pick out a gladiator costume for the armor, and when he got it back it had been modified. He put it on and looked in the mirror. He looked like a warrior, with autumn leaves and soft fabric. The colors shown through, the leaves forming a set of closed wings on his back. A headband of horns lay hidden in his hair, giving him the appearance of a beast. The woodland king with all the stars on his wrist. He smiled. He was keeping this one.

 

He held his new crown in his hands. It was a replica of his old one that was made of synthetic materials. This one would never fall apart. This one he could keep forever. He put it on. His costume was complete. He hoped Tyler would like it.

 

The car ride was fairly quick, the songs on the radio firing him up. When Tyler greeted him outside his own home, he nearly had a heart attack.

 

The king of snow and fresh spring flowers. His crown had been remade immortal as well, and his costume was magnificent. The flowers adorned his neck and draped down his arms, a chestplate of ice resting on his front. His wings were of ice and twigs, with vines swirling around them. The most beautiful creature he’s ever seen.

 

“You look… whoa. You.”

 

“Could say the same. Didn’t realize it was going to look so good on you when I was making it.”

 

They laughed and pressed their foreheads together, crown touching crown.

 

“Let’s go get free candy.”

 

The rest of the night was one of the best they’d ever had. People seemed to love their costumes. The only real compliments he’s ever gotten. He felt good. He kept his eyes out for the wisps of the worlds. He didn’t see any, but that was okay. Mortals couldn’t see them anyways. He wasn’t much for sweets, and managed to down a couple chocolate bars and some fruity candies before feeling full. Tyler noticed and they laughed. He gifted half of his leftover candy to Tyler and handed the rest out to trick-or-treaters.

 

“Whoa! Your costumes are so cool!”

 

He smiled at the little boy. “Thanks, dude! Tyler here made them himself.”

 

The boy’s eyes lit up. “Really!? That’s so cool!”

 

They laughed. “Isn’t it? He’s the best. Hey, do you like chocolate?”

 

Watching the children’s smiling faces was therapeutic. He couldn’t help but smile.

 

When they arrived at Tyler’s house, their lips met again. Time slowed, the lights grew softer, and everything felt right. Tyler pulled away from him, giggling.

 

“I can taste the chocolate on your breath.”

 

He blushed. “R-really…?”

 

They laughed and hugged again before saying their goodbyes. He got into his car and began his drive to the mountains. He could get used to this.

 

 

* * *

 

“You’ve given me an angel!” He cried out to the sky that night, still dressed like the woodland king Tyler said he was. “You’ve given me the softest and purest angel in all of the Above!”

 

He waited a moment, hearing his cries echo through the desert below. His voice dropped to a whisper.

 

“Please don’t take him away.”

 

Nothing.

 

He went into his car and changed into a spare set of clothes he kept in the trunk. The rest of the night was spent counting the stars and dreaming of a future. He hadn’t ever thought about that before. He didn’t think he had one. But Ty… Tyler made him think twice.

 

“Please. Don’t take him away.”


	9. Frosted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> wintertime.

The snow had long since begun to fall. The spot by the lake had been fitted for the winter, the fairy lights now replaced by white Christmas lights and the paper bats turned into paper snowflakes. They hung mistletoe wherever they could without it being too obvious, just as a little excuse to steal a kiss from each other. A padlocked box of everything important to them was hidden within a hollow tree, stuff that was for their eyes only.

 

They picked out snow gear together. He got his in autumn colors and Tyler got green with flowers. They walked out of the store with their bags and smiled. It was going to be a good season.

 

It became their routine; go to the lake by day, and go to the cliff by night. Tyler would sometimes tag along. The sky that afternoon was overcast, small bits of snowflakes fell in a timely manner. The two were engaged in an intense snowball fight.

 

“Ow!” Tyler laughed and continued to speak. “How were your snowballs able to take down my snow wall so easily!”

 

He laughed too. “They’re infused with pagan magic that makes them stronger.”

 

They both laughed for awhile and resumed the fight. It was intense, he nearly brought down Tyler’s ‘improved’ snow fort twice. He sat down next to his love and they laid in the snow for some time, laughing about nothing but the fact that they were happy.

 

He mumbled something that Tyler couldn’t hear.

 

“Hmm?”

 

“Oh, nothing, it’s just… Tyler Dun. It has the best ring to it, don’t you think?”

 

Tyler sat up. “Yeah, it has a good… wait, who’s last name is that?”

 

He giggled. “It’s mine, and it suits you so well.”

 

“Dun, huh? Yeah I like it. Better than Joseph at least. Might have to steal it from you.”

 

He grinned widely. "Please, be my guest."

 

He watched as a look of realization slowly but surely spread across his face. “...oh. Oh. You want me to… I. Oh.” They sat silently for a moment. “Are you… are you serious? Like.”

 

“Oh, no I’m dead serious.” He went solemn for a second and laid back in the snow. He closed his eyes for a moment before looking up at Tyler, a small smile on his face. “One day, I’m gonna marry the everloving heck out of you. I’m like… 3,000% sure you’re my soulmate.”

 

Tyler laid down with him again, a smile now on his. “I love you so much.”

 

He put his arm around him. “You’re my favorite constellation. You're my Corona. I love you.”

 

And there they stayed.

 

Everything was peaceful.


	10. Names

He didn’t say anything to the stars. He didn’t need to. He just sat there, smiling at the sky, naming them and finding his favorites. They all reminded him of Tyler.

 

When they died, they would be up there. They would be together until the end of days, dancing and loving and living all the same. A place where they could be free, and every Halloween they would come down and smoke dried leaves, get drunk on old fruit, and just have breakfast under the rising sunlight.

 

It would all be so perfect.

 

He meant everything to him.

 

 

* * *

 

“Joshua,” he had said to him one day over by the lake.

 

Tyler looked up. “Hm?”

 

“My real name,” he continued, as he threw a pebble onto the ice. It slid a couple of feet before stopping. “It’s Josh.”

 

“Ah.”

 

They sat silently for a moment before Tyler put his head on his shoulder. “Josh. Josh Dun… What a beautiful name. I love it.”

 

Suddenly, he didn’t feel so bad about his name anymore.


	11. Mint

T’was a couple days before Christmas. He and Tyler were using the open trunk of his car as a bench, since it was warm and the trunk door worked as a makeshift little umbrella to keep the falling snow out of their faces. Each one had a fair-sized candy cane they had gotten from one of the mountain town’s convenience stores and were discussing what they wanted as Christmas gifts.

 

“Maybe this year I’ll get a rocket,” Tyler had said while looking up at the sky. He stuck his candy cane back in his mouth for a moment before taking it out again to speak. “Ya know, one of those model ones that you can build and they’ll actually fly a good thirty feet into the air before coming back down? Those are a ton of fun.”

 

He chuckled for a moment before thinking about what he wanted. “Mmm… Maybe some friends would be nice. Or better yet! Something for stargazing, like a star map, or a telescope, or a sketchpad so I could draw out the constellations…” He paused when he noticed Tyler looking at him.

 

“…What.”

 

“Do you… not… have any other friends? Wait, that came out wrong! I didn’t at all mean to sound offensive. Sorry…”

 

He laughed and put his arm around him. “Oh, nah it’s chill. I’ve come to terms with it a while ago, so it’s easy for me to talk about. You’re… yeah, you’re my only friend.”

 

Tyler looked out at the snow silently.

 

“I’m gonna introduce you to some of mine.”

 

“Oh… I mean, you don’t… you don’t HAVE to do that…”

 

Their eyes met again, and Tyler smiled warmly enough to make him forget all about the temperature. “I’ll only do it if you want to, but I really want you to meet my buddies.”

 

He smiled too. “Alright. Love you.”

 


	12. Heart-shaped Hands

The January air felt good on his skin.

 

He had his first real Christmas with Tyler. He gave the flower king a scarf that he made himself. It was a deep and soft blue, with stars and constellations hot-glued onto it. He promised him he would wear it whenever it got cold out.

 

Tyler got him a telescope so he could see the stars better. It was the most thought anyone had ever put into a gift for him. He loved it. He hugged him for a long time, but they were both okay with that.

 

He had officially made two new friends thanks to Ty. They all went down to the shopping center on the afternoon of the 31st to grab lunch, and that’s where they introduced themselves. Brendon Urie and Pete Wentz were their names, and they ended up chatting for almost two hours. They ended up leaving early to go roll up something to smoke, but he and Tyler stayed there for a little while longer to go shop.

 

Tyler took him down to the now-frozen lake on New Year’s Day. They sat down by the edge and rested their feet on the ice. It was cool and refreshing on his legs. They sat in silence and took in the fresh air.

 

The woodland king extended his arm in front of them and made half of a heart shape. He looked at Tyler, who had begun to laugh uncontrollably.

 

He laughed too. “What’s so funny?”

 

“You make your heart shape so weird!” Tyler raised his arm and finished the heart. It was his turn to laugh.

 

“Yours is even weirder! Why do you put your fingers up like that! It’s unnecessary!”

 

“Whatever, man. I’ll let your incredible amount of heart-shaped weirdness slide because I love you so much.”

 

He smiled and left a gentle kiss on his cheek. The snow looked more beautiful than it had ever looked before. 


	13. First Times

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lets! romanticize! consent!

Their first time was in Tyler’s car.

 

He had just gotten his cast off two days prior, and decided to keep it in the locked box due to the sheer work of art it was. They had gone up to the cliff to look at the stars again, using the telescope he now had. He named every constellation and Tyler just listened. After hours of this the two had started to get cold, so the moved back into the car and sat quietly for a while.

 

He looked over at Tyler and smiled. “God, how can one being be so pretty?”

 

“I mean, I’d never be as hot as you though… You’re like.”

 

He chuckled and leaned in to kiss him. This one felt different from the others. A feeling had begun to pool in his stomach that he couldn’t describe. It felt warm and it felt so good. He wondered if Tyler felt the same thing. His hand rested on the other’s chest, and after a bit it reached down to his hip to steady them. The car seemed warmer than it did before. Tyler blushed and whispered quietly, “Can we… can we move to the back seats maybe…?” He paused. “I mean, only if you want to…”

 

He took in the meaning behind the words. “W-well, are you… are you sure?”

 

He nodded. Tyler climbed into the backseat and he followed behind. It took a minute, but they got into a more comfortable position, with the smaller boy on his lap and nestled in his arms. They sat like that and breathed for a minute. He looked up at his flower king. “Are you, like. 100% sure this is what you want.”

 

“I’ve,” he exhaled deeply, “I’ve been thinking about it for some time. Yes.”

 

They nodded at each other and continued. Pressing their lips together, letting hands roam, creating their own melody.

 

“We can stop at any time. Your well-being always comes first.”

 

“Mm. It’s okay. I’m ready.”

 

And so it went. Slow and soft, he made sure Tyler knew just how much he cared about him. He kept his eyes on him the entire time, like he were a delicate glass swan that could break at any moment. He just wanted to keep him safe. Tyler opened his eyes, and brown met brown once again. He got the feeling that he knew.

 

As the snow gently fell, the two kings of the forest became one.

 

Harvest leaves and icy flowers, yin and yang.

 

They knew.

 

An hour went by. The warm feeling in his gut was at the brink of overflow. He pressed their foreheads together again, noses touching, and they breathed each other in.

 

“Ty, I… God, I hope you know how much I love you.”

 

Tyler looked up at him again. Half-lid mocha eyes, jaw slack, and tousled tree-bark hair glowing in the moonlight was certainly a sight. He was beautiful. He was so, so very beautiful.

 

“I’ll always love you more.” His voice was strained. He could tell Tyler felt it too. “This I vow.”

 

He pressed their lips together once more.

 

The earth itself shook.

 

It felt as if the Up Above had come crashing down on both of them, and it felt good. It felt oh so good. But they couldn’t care. They had each other.

 

They knew.

 

They just knew that that was enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i cant help but feel its a little rushed but i ran it by my friends and they enjoyed it. how are you guys likin it so far?


	14. Hiraeth

Tyler told him he wanted to surprise him for Valentine’s Day. He was wondering what it would be the whole day.

 

“Dress nicely,” he had said. He was looking at himself in the mirror. He picked out the few nice things he owned: his leather jacket, his favorite band shirt, his soft blue jeans, his boots, and the dog tags he got on his trip to Reykjavik all those years ago. He licked his lips. Alright. This should be fine.

 

The car ride had been shorter than he remembered. Now that he knew the way, he always seemed to get there quicker. The directions Tyler sent him led him straight to the clearing by the lake.

 

When he stepped out of the car he gasped. “Oh, Ty…”

 

The lights were strung high up across the trees, and in the center of the clearing sat a small table for two. The chairs and the table were made out of a dark wood, and in the center sat a thin vase with a blue rose in it. In one chair sat a well-dressed and heavily-blushing Tyler, who couldn’t seem to meet his eyes.

 

“H-hey… so um. Happy Valentine’s Day, Spooks.”

 

His heart skipped a beat. He walked over to Tyler and kissed him softly on the forehead. “This is… wow, dude. I would say this is real extra of you but I love you too much and plus this is actually amazing.”

 

He sat down at the chair opposite from him and scratched the back of his neck. “So what are we eating on this, a fine evening?”

 

Tyler chuckled. “Well actually, I uhh, really hope you like Taco Bell because that’s all I can afford at the moment.”

 

“Dude as long as you ordered chalupas we are totally okay. But if you didn’t that’s also totally okay because wow, this is great.”

 

“Good.”

 

They looked at each other and laughed for a moment, and Tyler got up to get the food out of his car. They spent the rest of the evening eating and laughing, and it was the best dinner he had ever eaten. Ty had gradually stopped talking, instead absentmindedly staring at the woodland king, and he noticed this.

 

“...do I have something on my face…?”

 

Tyler’s head snapped up and he started to blush. “Oh, uhh, I’m sorry. I just… you look so goddamn hot right now and I can’t help it.”

 

He chuckled, trying to hide his internal freak-out over his words. “Really? Well, I try. Only for you, Corona.”

 

They fell into a comfortable silence for a couple of minutes before Tyler stood up and walked over to the trunk. He watched as the boy set up his boombox and put in a special cassette. A soft piano melody began to play. The same song from the day in October.

 

He listened to it for a moment. F sharp minor really was a beautiful chord. “What song is this?”

 

Tyler looked over at him. “It was a present from a friend who moved to Scotland back in June. It’s called Hiraeth, but she also called it A Tale Of Broken Swords so I guess either goes.”

 

“I like it. Can we dance to it again?”

 

“Why I played it in the first place.”

 

It was like a scene from a Disney movie. The two swayed back and forth, holding onto each other and moving all across the clearing. The melody really was beautiful. He made a note to himself to get a copy of the sheet music to bring with him to the Up Above.

 

The rest of the night was lost in time, but it was said that if they could possibly fall deeper for each other, then in that moment they did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> based on a song i wrote. its such a nice melody. its where i stole the title of the story from, too.


	15. Savior

The stars that night were so incredibly vibrant it almost hurt. He spent the longest time just watching them, watching as they twinkled and flickered. He held the telescope in his arms, it meant the worlds to him and he couldn’t help but smile. 

 

The stars had sent him a savior.

 

“Thank you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aaaaa.


	16. Gasoline

Years went by. The two grew closer than before, and they would still go out to the clearing by the lake at least four times a week. Every night, he would still drive to the cliff and watch the stars. Their apartment was decorated with autumn garlands and spring flowers.

 

They had become a tale that withstood time itself.

 

He sat on the roof of his car and watched the night sky. He felt content. Things had started to change for them as they grew older. They had started to venture out further and found many more little secret spots. The memory box in the clearing had grown full, so they bought a bigger one. Things have changed and that was perfectly okay.

 

He was at peace. He smiled up at the stars as he reread the note one final time. A ping of sadness swept through his heart but it was quickly overshadowed by all the memories they had. He hopped off the roof and left the note in the glove compartment of the car. He looked up at the sky again.

 

“Take care of him, okay?”

 

He sat down in the driver’s seat and closed the door.

 

He chuckled.

 

The desert looked so pretty at night.

 

He floored the gas pedal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :)


End file.
